KINGDOM!

Last week I was in Hay-on-Wye, Wales. While visiting a long-lost classmate of mine in Leeds, we made a pilgrimage to this quaint town a.k.a. Y Gelli (“The Grove,” in Welsh), the mecca for bibliophiles. Inundating the population of 1,864 are 30+ used bookstores. There are books everywhere—indoors, outdoors, and in every imaginable niche, nook, and cranny. Almost heaven! How this hamlet became the booktown of the U.K. is a story in itself.

A certain Richard George William Pitt Booth single-handedly exported the notion of a booktown in the 1960s. Soon thereafter, he purchased the ancient Norman castle in Hay-on-Wye (ca. 1200s). Not only did he set up shop—selling books, of course—in his castle and wherever else he could find room, this worthy also proclaimed himself ruler of the independent “kingdom” of Hay-on-Wye! To his credit, he is quite skeptical about his own monarchical status, employing his horse as his Prime Minister, and choosing to deploy a toilet-plunger in place of a royal scepter. He does, however, still sell cheap “peerages” to awestruck tourists. “Lord Kuruvilla” did sound appealing to me, but I passed on the golden opportunity. However, I did buy books from His Majesty Booth and the good man was kind enough to give me a discount. For his services towards tourism, in 2003 King B received an M.B.E. (Member of the Order of the British Empire)—the genuine article, granted by one, who alone, could bestow such honors, the British monarch, H.M. Elizabeth II by the Grace of God Queen of Britain and of her other Realms, Head of the Commonwealth of Nations, Defender of the Faith.

Not anyone, in other words, can appropriate or apportion crown, title, or nobility. QE II, herself, may be sovereign, by the grace of God, but there is only One who is directly appointed by God to reign over the world, over an eternal Kingdom—the One whose incarnation we just celebrated.

As the angel Gabriel announced to Mary …

“… you shall name Him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called
the Son of the Most High …
and His kingdom will have no end.”
Luke 1:31–33

This is the One of whom the Book of Revelation records …

And on His robe and on His thigh
He has a name written,
“King of kings, and Lord of lords.”
Revelation 19:16

The real King. King over all. And, besides, those of us who have placed our trust in Jesus Christ for salvation from sin are already in that glorious kingdom.

For He rescued us
from the domain of darkness,
and transferred us to the
kingdom of His beloved Son.
Colossians 1:13

Therefore we can, with keen anticipation, expect Christ’s coming earthly reign—the reign of the righteous King, the rightful King, the One who alone is King indeed, ruling over a peaceable kingdom. What a day that will be!

There will be no end
to the increase
of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it
with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
Isaiah 9:6–7

What an endless and unimaginable day of bliss! No more inequalities and injustices; no more unfairnesses and uncertainties; no more disappointments and dangers; no more inflictions and afflictions. The eternal realm of justice and righteousness! The reign of God Almighty! And it will be here soon. “Thy Kingdom come!”

Now to the King eternal,
immortal, invisible,
the only God,
be honor and glory
forever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:17